County gets update on detention center status

Dianne Stallings

Posted:
03/05/2013 06:06:56 PM MST

Holding onto good employees after they've been trained is a problem in most detention centers, no matter what the size, Lincoln County officials say they learned during a recent training session in Albuquerque.

During a recent county commission meeting, Commission Chairman Jackie Powell said she attended the session with county detention center Warden Arthur Anderson and County Manager Nita Taylor.

"I have a very much new founded respect for the job he does," she said of Anderson. "He has an incredible amount of integrity and a long line of service."

The training called Jail as a Part of County Government was put on by the National Institute of Corrections and New Mexico Association of Counties. Lincoln County's delegation sat at a table with a three-person team from Bernalillo County.

"You might think we don't have much in common, but it was very interesting. We kind of broke the rules and worked together as one team."

The problem of staff shortages and turnover and other issues are found nationwide, Powell said. "Bernalillo has 3,500 inmates and has trouble keeping people too, even with an 850,000 population in a metropolitan area. It was interesting to find out that largest areas had the exact same problems."

Taylor added that they learned in any detention center more than 50 percent of the inmates are people awaiting trial, who haven't been convicted of anything. "It's an amazing statistic," she said.

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Anderson, who works for Emerald Corrections Mana_gement, the firm with a contract to manage the county detention center in Carrizozo, gave commissioners a brief resume. He retired from the Texas Correctional Department of Criminal Justice after 30 years and eight months or service. He was warden for 15 years, working his way up from corrections officer.

"One of the facilities I worked at had 4,500 inmates," he said. He was senior warden over 2,250 in Lamesa, Texas and was named 2004 Warden of the Year. He retired in 2005 with about 40 years of experience in the field.

"I thought I was too young to retire, so sought out the private sector and here I am today," Anderson said. "I never had been in this area. I really enjoy the forest and the mountains. I look forward to staying on."

Population

The total capacity of the jail in Carrizozo is 144 inmates and the daily population averages 135. "We were at six certified officers. At this time, from January to now, we've hired eight, including a new chief and two lieutenants, security, food service and few correctional officers. We terminated six."

Commissioner Dallas Draper asked if the commission could help him keep qualified people.

Anderson said the company is now offering a hiring bonus of $250 for individuals completing the first part of their training and then another $250 after six months. Anyone who refers a good candidate and that person stays on the job at least six months, receives $50.

Draper asked if that type of turnover is the normal pattern. Anderson replied, "Since I've been here and I have been told in past, it always has been hard to keep employees. There was one officer on the floor with a supervisor when I got here." He's increased that to three plus other staff.

Commissioner Preston Stone asked if all six who left were terminated and Anderson said all were fired but the previous chief, who left because of personal issues.

Commissioner Kathryn Minter asked about the average stay of an inmate, but Anderson said that depends on the charges against them.

"So they're there until they go through the court and are released or go somewhere else," she said.

Powell asked Taylor at the March commission meeting to show a short video she saw during the training session about detention that should answer many of the commissioners' questions.